If I told you that you could change your entire financial future in 15 minutes, would your ears perk up? Would you listen to what I have to say for just a little while, understanding that knowledge is power, and that getting the right information in your head can change your future? Well, I would keep reading here, because I just found out an amazing way to make that happen. It's called "GET ON A BUDGET NOW!" And luckily, I've written a nice little tutorial for you to make that happen. Check it out!
Mint.com is back!
I gotta say, I'm pretty excited about this. Mostly because I am so crazy … [Read more...]

The following is a guest post from Edward Antrobus. He is a construction worker, home cook, and writer. He writes about frugality and occasionally disagrees with the personal finance establishment at EdwardAntrobus.com. Thanks for helping while I’m memorizing the 1040 tax form!
I first tried using Mint when Intuit first bought them. I used Quicken and Microsoft Money for a number of years and thought I would try my hand at an online version. The idea may be solid for most people, but I quickly discovered that Mint and other online account aggregators aren't for me.
If Mint, or SaveUp, … [Read more...]

The following is a guest post. To learn more about guest posting on iHeartBudgets, please contact me.
When you have a serious amount of debt to deal with, the important thing to do is to take steps to get it sorted out. The worst thing that you can do is ignore the problem, as your debts will just get larger the longer that you go without making any repayments.
Of course, it can be easier said than done to face debts head on, but there are different ways to go about it.
Do It Yourself
You can try doing it independently, by adopting a strict monthly budget for your household and … [Read more...]

I've talked before about those little emergencies that can absolutely kill your monthly budget, causing you to dip into savings or go into further debt to take care of. Things such as broken appliances, car repairs, water leaks and Christmas seem to come out of nowhere to blow up your budget. My solution to this is to create savings buckets for items that you can reasonably expect to pay for at some point. It's easy enough, you just put money away each month in a designated bucket, and when that event or "emergency" happens, you've already got money in place to take care of it.
What I've … [Read more...]

In my comments, my awesome real estate agent Robby Leviton dropped a link to a sweet-tastic infographic put on by Intuit. It was posted about a year ago, but the details are still relevant. I wasn't surprised in the slightest that the largest expenses were food and entertainment. Now, I am all for gettin' my food on and catching a good flick, but there are thousands of dollars in potential savings here. I like that they, too, are trying to remove the word "budgeting" from the list of household swear words, as that has been my goal from the beginning as well. So let's check out what a household … [Read more...]

A while ago, I wrote about how I don't make enough money to pay my bills. And though technically true, I do make enough money annually to cover all my expenses and we have a sizeable savings fund set up in case we need it to pay for anything. After writing that post, I have gotten a lot of search traffic directed toward that post, with many people desperate for answers on what to do when there's not enough money at the end of the month. There are a lot of options when this happens, but if you ever find yourself in this situation, here are the first 3 steps you need to take:
Take A Deep … [Read more...]

It was about 4 1/2 years ago that Michelle and I sat down for the first time with a paper and a pencil to create our first budget just before getting married. Now, up until this point, we had kept our finances separate, which I think was a good idea, but now we were engaged and about to start our life together, so I wanted to make sure we were on the same page financially. This was a MUCH more difficult task than I had originally thought.
Shame
Now, having counseled a few people and helped them get on a budget, I now know that one of the toughest steps of starting a budget is writing … [Read more...]

Meet Jacob

I'm a husband, father, and budget nerd who loves taking complex financial problems and breaking them down into a simple, easy-to-follow financial plan. It all started after getting engaged over 6 years ago... Read More…

Top Finance Blog!

Disclaimer

Information presented on iHeartBudgets is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to be taken as financial advice. While all attempts are made to present accurate information, it may not be appropriate for your specific circumstances and information may become outdated over time. I am not a personal finance professional and you should seek out a professional before making any financial decisions.